1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic systems for performing automated tests of complex electronic, electromechanical and mechanical equipment and products. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic test system with a progress window that enables the user to see in a glance the progress and results of an entire test.
2. Statement of the Problem
Complex electronic, electromechanical and mechanical products and equipment are generally tested using automated test systems. Such tests can include validation tests which run through the various operations that the device under test (DUT) is capable of and records whether each operation was performed properly; environmental tests which expose the DUT to various combinations of temperature, pressure, and humidity, and records the results; production tests, etc. Generally, both the DUT and the systems providing the environmental and other constraints on the DUT are controlled electronically. In the last decade or so, computerized programs which are capable of controlling a variety of automated tests, referred to in the art as xe2x80x9ctest executivexe2x80x9d programs, have been developed.
Test executive programs in the prior art include internal test executive programs developed by Agilent Technologies and TESTSTAND software developed by National Instruments Corporation, which is described as a ready-to-run test executive for organizing, controlling, and executing automated prototype, validation, or production test systems. The prior art Agilent Technologies programs did not use a graphical user interface (GUI), therefore limiting the ability of the program to display large amounts of data in a simple fashion. The TESTSTAND software, while using a GUI, requires the user to scroll through multiple windows to determine the overall progress of a test.
Tests usually are defined by a set of rules or specifications to which the DUT is compared. The rules or specifications generally comprise various inputs defined by electrical and mechanical parameters applied to the DUT, such as voltage, current, specified manipulations of controls and device parts, as well as environmental parameters under which the test is conducted, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, and the time period over which a parameter is applied. Each test will include many combinations of the parameters applied to each element of the DUT, and often will be repeated many times. Each combination of parameters will define a measurement that results in one or more datapoints, which are recorded and compared to numerical or Boolean limits defining the specifications. Thus, as equipment and products become more complex, electronic test programs have become very long and complex, often requiring several days, or even a week or more to run a complete test.
In prior art test systems, the test results are displayed as text on a computer display screen as the test progresses, with the current test conditions and results, or a small portion of the conditions and results just prior to the current time, visible. If the user desires to see results from earlier portions of the test, the user scrolls through a display to extract information on the status of the test. Because of the length and complexity of the test, it is not physically possible to display the entire report of a test on the screen at one time. At any given point in the scrolling, the user has only a partial view of the results, making it difficult for the user to draw conclusions on the overall progress of the test without time consuming and tedious recording and summarizing.
In actual practice, the user almost always will permit the test to run unattended for hours, overnight, or for days, while other work is attended to. Because of the length and complexity of the tests, when the user returns to check on the test, it takes considerable time and effort to review the results to determine the progress of the test. In such cases, it often happens that the time necessary to do a thorough analysis of the results is not available as the test is being run. As a result, much test time is wasted when test results are reviewed after a run is completed, and it is found that certain elements of the test were improperly set up, or the DUT was faulty in some respect that was not recognized during the test.
It would be highly desirable to have a test executive system in which, at any given point in a lengthy test, the overall progress and status of the test could be quickly determined.
The present invention solves the above and other problems in prior art by allowing the user to see the progress of the entire procedure on a small graphical display called a progress window. The progress window enables the user to evaluate an entire test in a single glance while the test is still running. This allows the user to save time by immediately seeing if the number of failed or false results is unacceptable. The user does not have to search through the whole listing of results to determine if the test is running properly. Tests that are not progressing properly according to a set of rules, or specifications, predetermined by the user are quickly identified.
The electronic test output is displayed through an easy to use graphical user interface (GUI). It is preferably divided into windows containing either icons for controlling the test procedure or windows for displaying the results as text, tables, graphical points or graphical colored bars, and other GUI elements. The user can control the test procedure by accessing the programs represented by the icons and windows with a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, a trackball, a touch pad, a roller ball and a joystick.
The portion of the display containing the progress window is preferably a small portion of the graphical user interface (GUI) where the results are displayed as single graphical elements such as graphical points, graphical bars, graphical sectors or single alphanumeric characters.
The graphical elements are grouped in a manner to display the progress of the test. Preferably, the graphical elements are grouped on this window along a first axis, and the distance of these graphical elements extends along the first axis representing the total length of the whole test procedure.
Preferably, each graphical element is color coded to facilitate rapid distinguishing of the test progress. Preferably, the color coding indicates that the corresponding result is a xe2x80x9cpassxe2x80x9d, i.e., within specification, a xe2x80x9cfailxe2x80x9d, i.e., outside specification, or xe2x80x9cmarginalxe2x80x9d, i.e., just barely within specification.
Preferably, each graphical element is a bar extending in a direction perpendicular to the first axis. Preferably, each bar is color coded to indicate if the corresponding result is a xe2x80x9cpassxe2x80x9d, i.e., within specification, a xe2x80x9cfailxe2x80x9d, i.e., outside specification, or xe2x80x9cmarginalxe2x80x9d, i.e., just barely within specification. Monitoring the progress window allows the user to check the time left to accomplish the test procedure but, more importantly, it allows the user to check the status of the test; that is, how many of the results are pass, fail or marginal.
The pass/fail criterion is determined by comparing the results to a specification. Preferably, the specification is displayed on the progress window by at least one specification limit. Most preferably, there are two specification limits, which are preferably an upper specification limit and a lower specification limit. Preferably, each specification limit is a line. Preferably, the upper specification limit is a line above and parallel to the first axis. Preferably, the lower specification limit is a line below and parallel to the second axis.
Preferably, the length of each bar is normalized so it is proportional to the ratio of the numerical value of the datapoint and the numerical value of the corresponding specification. A mathematical criterion is applied to determine if the result is within the specification limits, outside the specification limits, or barely inside the specification limits, which criterion determines if the test is pass, fail or marginal. As indicated above, preferably, a color is assigned to the vertical graphical bar, representing the value of the datapoint, depending on its pass, fail or marginal status. This color code is a visual tool helping the user to determine instantly how the test is progressing. Preferably, the lines representing the upper and lower specification limits are placed at a unit (1) distance above and below the first axis, respectively. Thus, if the data point is within specification, its length is such that it is within the area defined by the specification limit lines, and if the data point is outside specification, its length extends beyond the corresponding specification limit line, and if the datapoint is marginal, its length is equal to or close to the corresponding specification limit line.
The present invention not only provides an electronic test program that displays the overall output in a form that can be observed in a glance, but also displays the output in a form which permits the user to quickly check individual results. Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.